Our laboratory has undertaken the study of responses of neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus of awake monkeys. This is a new procedure designed to assess questions of LGN functions not obtainable in anesthetized preparations. Our model addresses the subcortical inputs to the LGN and their functional separation into synaptic and non-synaptic pathways. Monkeys are being chaired and LGN neurons recorded while the head is restrained. Saccadic eye movements are the current object of correlation with the LGN neuronal responses. Once the activities of various types of neurons in the LGN are correlated with saccades, the influence of electrical stimulation of the subcortical areas will be tested and further correlated. These studies may provide the first solid evidence of the functional role of the LGN during eye movements.